Knights women's hockey skates by Yale 4-1

Friday, November 9, 2012 - 11:53 pm

With another balanced scoring effort up front and a stingy defensive performance, the third-ranked Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team skated to a dominating 4-1 victory over Yale in ECAC Hockey action at Cheel Arena on Friday night.

Off to their best start ever in the 10-year history of the program, the Golden Knights stand at 9-2 overall and 3-0 in league play. The Green and Gold host Brown in conference action in Potsdam on Saturday afternoon beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Clarkson took control right from the start against Yale, outshooting the Bulldogs 17-7 in the first period en route to a 3-0 lead after the opening 20 minutes. The Knights tallied three goals in s span of 5:32.

Senior Danielle Skirrow (Trenton, ONT) started the scoring at 4:27 when she took the puck out of the right corner and fired a shot up top for her seventh goal of the season. Junior Shelby Nisbet (Wiseton, SASK) earned the assist. Less than a minute later, at 5:14, junior Brittany Styner (Calgary, ALB) made it 2-0, connecting for her third goal of the season off a pass from classmate Jamie Lee Rattray (Kanata, ONT).

Junior Vanessa Gagnon (St. Constant, QUE) tallied on the power play with freshman Shannon MacAulay (Mt. Herbert, PEI) setting her up with a perfect pass in the slot at 9:59. Senior defenseman Hailey Wood (Lethbridge, ALB) also set up the play.

Just 48 seconds into the middle frame, Clarkson went on top 4-0 when MacAulay fired in a blast from the point for a power-play marker, her third goal of the season. Wood picked up her second assist of the game.

With 5:48 remaining in the third, Yale (1-6, 1-4) spoiled the shutout bid by junior Erica Howe (Ottawa, ONT) when Jamie Haddad redirected a shot in front for her third goal of the season. Jamie Gray and Janelle Ferrara assisted.

Clarkson outshot Yale 39-17. The Knights were perfect in specialty-teams play, going 2-of-2 on the power play while killing off all four of the Bulldogs’ man-advantage chances.